Paper 1: Reading and Use of English

Some common questions about Paper 2: Writing

What if I write too much, or if I don’t write enough?

The questions on the test paper will tell you how much to write. You can use this information to help you plan your answer. If you write a shorter answer which includes all the required information, this is OK. And if you write too much, you will only lose marks if you include details which aren’t important or which could confuse the reader.

How long should I spend on each part?

Where do I write my answers?

What happens if I need more paper?

Both parts are worth the same number of marks and you can decide how much time to spend on each part. Just make sure you spend some time planning before you start writing each answer and checking your work after you have finished.

In the candidate answer booklet. Your test centre will also provide paper for your plan, notes, etc.

Don’t worry – raise your hand and indicate that you need more paper. Just remember at the end of the exam to submit all the paper you used. This includes your final answer sheet, the question paper and any notes which you made to plan or prepare your answer.

Do …

✔ Allow time to plan and to check your writing. Read every part of the question carefully so you can ensure that your answer responds to all the content points in the task and each point is developed fully.

✔ Think carefully about whether the task requires you to persuade or justify your opinion, and make sure that you do this in your answer.

✔ Use a range of vocabulary and grammar, as well as a style and tone which are suitable for the task and the reader.

✔ In Part 1, read the opening paragraphs and instructions very carefully to make sure that you know what your role is and who you are writing to.

✔ In Part 1, remember that you do not necessarily need to use all the input information. Usually, part of the task is to select the appropriate information.

✔ Write clearly so your answers are easy to read.

However, it’s not important if you write in CAPITALS or if your writing is ‘joined up’ (cursive) or not.

The important thing is that the examiner can read your handwriting.

Don’t …

✘ Don’t use the exact words from the Part 1 question.

Use your own ideas or your own words.

✘ Don’t write answers that are much longer than the word limit. This means you may have included a lot of irrelevant content.

✘ Don’t write addresses for a letter. They are not required, so writing these will waste valuable time.

✘ Don’t use a pencil. For this paper, you must write in pen.

Paper 3: Listening

About 40 minutes

4 parts Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Three short extracts from conversations between interacting speakers. For each recording answer two multiple-choice questions.

Listen to one person speaking for about 3 minutes and complete eight sentences with information that you hear.

Listen to a conversation between two or more speakers for about 4 minutes and answer six multiple-choice questions.

Listen to five short recordings of about 30 seconds each. Each recording has only one person speaking. On the question paper, there are two tasks and for each task you have to match each of the five speakers to one of eight possible answers.

✔ In the exam, always read the questions before you start listening. Don’t worry if you miss a question – use the questions to help you find your place. You will hear each recording twice. ✔ In the exam, if you can’t hear the recording, raise your hand immediately so somebody can quickly help to fix the problem.

Extra help online

Try the sample Listening test and the

listening practice activities for advanced

learners on our website.

Listen to podcasts. With a high level of English, you can certainly find podcasts that you will be able to understand on topics that interest you. Listening for pleasure is a great way to develop your listening skills, as well as your vocabulary. This paper tests different real-life skills, including your ability to deduce meaning from a text or to listen for main points, agreement, detail, specific information or the general meaning of the whole text. To practise, find an interesting video or audio clip online and share it with another English speaker, such as a friend or colleague. Choose something which you know you will disagree about! After listening, discuss it together. Use examples from the clip to support your opinions! To improve your listening skills, it’s important to listen to many different things in your free time which you really enjoy, and to hear a range of accents of English. You can find lots of video and audio material online related to your interests and hobbies, like talks, audiobooks and so on. These often come with subtitles or transcripts so you can read and listen at the same time. The most important thing is to listen in English as much as possible and to enjoy it!

Some common questions about Paper 3: Listening

How many times will I hear each recording? You will hear each recording two times.

Where do I write my answers? You must write all your answers on a separate answer sheet. While you’re listening, you can write on the question paper, but you must transfer your answers to the answer sheet. You will have 5 minutes at the end of the test to do this.

How important is spelling?

Can I wear headphones? At advanced levels, accurate spelling is very important. In the Listening paper of the C1 Advanced exam, you must not make any spelling mistakes.

Ask your exam centre. Different exam centres have different rules about using headphones for the Listening test.

Do …

✔ Listen to all the instructions in the test – and read them too!

It’s really important to understand what you’re listening for and what you have to do.

✔ Use the time before each recording to prepare, read the question and think about the topic and the context.

✔ Try to answer the questions when the recording is played the first time. Then you can check these answers when you hear the recording for the second time.

✔ In Parts 1–3, remember that the order of information in the recording matches the order of information/questions on the page.

✔ In Part 2, try to use the actual words that you hear and look at the information both before and after the gap to check that your answer makes sense.

✔ In Part 2, check that your answer is correctly spelled and that you’ve copied only the missing words onto the answer sheet.

✔ In Part 4, remember that there are two questions for each speaker.

✔ Read through both tasks in multiple matching in the pause before you hear the recording for the first time (Part 4).

✔ Copy your answers carefully onto the answer sheet and check that you have followed the numbering correctly.

Don’t …

✘ Don’t use a pen on the answer sheet. Use a pencil. Answers written in pen cannot be read by the marking machine i.e. 0 points! Rub out any answers you want to change using an eraser.

✘ Don’t worry if you miss a question. Continue with the next question then listen again for the missing information when you hear the recording for the second time.

✘ Don’t try to write very long answers in Part 2, and don’t repeat information that is already in the sentences.

✘ Don’t panic about a difficult question in Part 2. There is plenty of time to write your answers as you listen.

✘ Don’t leave a blank space on the answer sheet. If you’re not sure about an answer, guess!

Paper 4: Speaking

Candidates are tested together in pairs or groups of three. If there are three candidates together, the test lasts longer so each candidate gets enough time to speak.

About 15 minutes

4 parts Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Each candidate has a brief general conversation (about 2 minutes) with the examiner.

You and the other candidate(s) each speak for 1 minute about two photographs from a selection of three. After the other candidate has spoken, you also have 30 seconds to respond to what they said.

You and the other candidate(s) discuss and complete a decision-making task. You have 15 seconds to read the task first, then 2 minutes to discuss and 1 minute to make a decision together.

The candidates and the examiner all speak together about topics related to the task in Part 3.

Don’t try to prepare and memorise general answers for the Speaking or Writing tests. They almost certainly won’t answer the questions which you are asked.

Extra help online

Watch an example of a real Speaking test and read the examiner’s comments.

Our website has speaking practice activities for advanced learners. If you don’t know about a topic in the Speaking paper, do not speak about something else! You need to show your language skills, not your knowledge about a specific subject. It might help you to practise some strategies in advance, such as:

• how to explain that you don’t know a lot about a topic • how to connect this topic logically to something you are more familiar with, so that you still answer the examiner’s question • describing what a friend, family member or colleague might say about the topic instead. Like all language skills, your speaking will improve if you practise more. Speak to different people, in different situations and about different topics. You should also become familiar with the assessment criteria for this paper: Grammatical Resource, Lexical Resource, Discourse Management, Pronunciation and Interactive Communication.